Over The Edge [On The Edge Series]

by Kallysten

  * * * *

  On the glass wall behind the man sitting across Brett, directly above his head, the clock was slowly ticking, marking seconds and minutes that could have been put to much better use than this discussion. Bit by bit, Brett was losing his temper and trying not to show it.

  "The police are already on the case,” he repeated, swallowing the sigh that wanted to come out. “And so are other Special Enforcers, from what I've been told."

  The Special Enforcer did not look bothered in the slightest. He had arrived just after four thirty, demanding to meet Brett even when John had offered to talk to him. Brett had agreed to meet him, thinking that the interview would be as quick as the one with the police, but it was almost five, and his patience was running thin.

  "Did another S.E. ask you for a list of your employees?"

  "No, but the police did."

  "The police have a lot to do, Mr. Andrews. This town lives up to its name where vampires are concerned, and you are part of that, of course, both in your personal and professional lives. But you do realize, I hope, that not everyone who encounters a vampire comes out of the experience unscathed. Not everyone is as lucky as you are."

  With each word, Brett's annoyance only grew. He knew the risks associated with vampires, he wasn't stupid. He did all he could to make the club safe for his customers. Hutson had no right to be so condescending, no right to hint with his tone if not his words that Brett was an idiot for trusting a vampire with his life. Before he could tell him what he thought, however, someone knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for a response. Leo stepped in, then stopped when he noticed that Brett wasn't alone.

  "Sorry, I thought ... should I come back later?"

  "No. We're done here. Special Enforcers are welcome to patrol my club, Hutson. They have always been. And my employees will answer any question you have, but they will answer here. There is no reason for you to bother them at home when they have already answered the police."

  He stood, and Hutson followed suit.

  "If that's your decision..."

  "It is. John will show you out. Good day."

  "I'll be back later, Mr. Andrews."

  The words sounded almost like a threat, but Brett dismissed them as easily as he dismissed Hutson from his thoughts. He closed the door behind him and with the press of a button closed the blinds as well, giving himself and Leo some privacy. Instead of sitting at his desk again, he leaned against its edge and after hesitating for a bit crossed his arms. He didn't know whether to laugh or be mortified at just how much being with Leo could make him feel like an awkward teenager again.

  The only thing that consoled him was that, for once, Leo seemed to be just as flustered as Brett felt, and he watched, with puzzled amusement, as Leo pulled a pack of cigarettes from his shirt's front pocket and lit one. Leo closed his eyes as he took his first deep breath on the cigarette, and the look of his face, for a brief moment, was such relief and bliss that Brett couldn't help but shake his head in wonder. Opening his eyes, Leo caught the end of the movement and misunderstood it.

  "Sorry, I should have asked ... Do you want me to put it out?” he asked, holding out the cigarette.

  Although Brett had never smoked, he kept an ashtray on his desk for visitors who did. He grabbed it and handed it to Leo.

  "I don't mind. I just didn't know you smoked. I didn't even know vamps could be addicted to nicotine."

  "It's more of a comfort thing."

  The practiced way Leo tapped the ashes off with a single tap of his finger before bringing the cigarette back to his lips belied that claim, and Brett couldn't help but smile.

  "It is,” Leo insisted. “I'll stop in a few days, and not think about it for months or years."

  That last statement, and the wistfulness of it, piqued Brett's curiosity. “So what will be different in a few days?"

  "I'll have gotten used to ... all this."

  He made a vague gesture with his hand, the cigarette stuck between two fingers as though he had forgotten it was there. Brett followed the trail of light smoke, wondering what ‘all this’ was exactly. There were too many possibilities, but the feeling was one he wouldn't have expected from Leo.

  "You're nervous,” he blurted out. “About what? The job? Us?"

  Leo grimaced. “Add the police, and you'll have an extensive list."

  "The police?” The admission gave Brett pause. “You didn't kill those people, did you?"

  "No, I didn't."

  Leo had answered so quickly, and with such force that Brett didn't doubt his words for a second. But then Leo added, “But I lied to the police."

  Brett's eyebrows rose in surprise. This was yet another thing he wouldn't have thought Leo would confess.

  Leo must have taken the raised eyebrows as an invitation to explain himself. He did so with a sigh, his eyes on the cigarette as he absently tapped it on the ashtray.

  "When they asked what time Lisa came back last night, I lied. I know she didn't do it, but they'd have bothered her with more questions and wasted their time, and I just thought it'd be faster. Easier."

  Pushing away from the edge of the desk, Brett walked behind it. He reclined in his chair. The leather cushions yielded pleasantly under him. The chair was the one indulgence he had granted himself in the otherwise plain office.

  "I knew you gave them the wrong time."

  Leo's mouth opened, then closed again. He frowned at Brett, clearly taken aback. “You did? You mean, you woke up when she came back?"

  "I did, and I realized you were lying as soon as you told them she was home by three thirty. I just didn't realize you'd put so much in jeopardy just to make your life easier."

  The harshness in his words surprised even Brett. He hadn't realized he was so angry. Leo seemed to have caught on to that fact. He pulled on his cigarette, the gesture holding a sharp edge of nervousness.

  "I apologize."

  There was something in the way he said the word that hinted that Leo had rarely used it in the past, and wasn't even sure he ought to use it now. Brett's anger slowly turned into curiosity.

  "You think that's enough?” he asked, wondering more how Leo would answer than if he would apologize more.

  "I don't know.” The sigh that followed was one of frustration. “If I knew anything about any of this, I guess I wouldn't have lied in the first place. I'm trying to learn this trust thing, but it's not easy."

  Brett had a feeling that he was missing something in that tirade. It was almost as though Leo had been continuing a conversation, but he had not started it with Brett. Brett would have remembered it if he had. He decided not to push, at least not now.

  "Does that mean you won't lie again?"

  Leo's expression became cautious. “I can't promise that. But I can promise I'll try."

  Reaching for the water bottle on his desk, Brett took a mouthful, his eyes never leaving Leo. He replaced the cap absently, then finally nodded.

  "All right."

  Once again, Leo seemed surprised—and this time, also, relieved. “All right? That's it?” He ground out what remained of his cigarette in the ashtray, then leaned over to place it on the desk.

  Brett stifled a smile. “What else did you expect?"

  "I don't know. You firing me. Or kicking me out."

  Not batting an eye, Brett stood and moved around the desk again. He thrust his hand toward Leo, who took it warily. “It's a deal,” Brett said as they shook hands, and he wasn't joking. “If you ever lie to me, I'll do both."

  He didn't want to do either, not after the previous night, but lying to the cops was just stupid. If someone else claimed they had seen Lisa outside after three thirty, the detectives would be back, and they wouldn't be so pleasant.

  Still sitting, Leo tried to smile. The end result was a strange cross between a smirk and a grimace. “I'll try to remember that,” he said. “Try to learn."

  Brett nodded. Then, without warning, he stepped forward and threw a leg over Leo's thigh
s. It felt a little awkward, at first, to sit down on his lap like this after he had all but threatened him, but Brett shoved the uneasiness away and pressed forward, resting his hands on Leo's shoulders. He kissed him hard, putting his anger, disappointment and fear in the kiss. Leo yielded to him, pliant and almost passive, the complete opposite of his attitude the previous night. Finding no resistance, Brett's feelings eroded. They changed into hope even as his kiss softened, and he invited Leo's tongue to play along rather than be dominated.

  When Brett drew back, his cock was hard and aching—and so was Leo's, right against his. Leo's eyes were shining, and there was no grimace left in his smile, only pure pleasure.

  "I think I'm not the only one who's learning."

  Chapter 9

  The day trickled by for Lisa more slowly than it should have. She was tired, and falling asleep again shouldn't have been too hard. Every time she tried to lie down, however, too many thoughts bustled through her mind for her to rest.

  Leo had left after she closed her bedroom door on him, without trying to reason with her. For that, she was thankful. Her anger had faded with the passing hours, and she would accompany him to talk to their Sire as she had promised. That didn't mean she was ready to forget. With a simple lie, he had put everything in her life into jeopardy; the fact that he had been trying to help didn't change that.

  When Brett came up, she knew what she had to do. It would be temporary, a night, maybe two, just to make an impression on Leo, show him she was truly angry about his lie; to see, also, if he stayed.

  "Lisa?” he called her from the living room. “Can you come? I want to show you something."

  She found him at the kitchen counter, the laptop open in front of him. She stood next to him, her shoulder brushing against his, and looked at what he was doing. On the laptop screen, in full colors and as fluidly as though she had been watching the television, she could see customers entering On The Edge, most of them in small groups or couples, a few on their own.

  "It's just one camera for now,” Brett explained, “covering the entrance. But by Saturday, we'll have all the coverage we planned for."

  "That's great. Then maybe the cops won't come wake us up at indecent hours."

  "If we're even luckier,” he said with a trace of dry irony, “there won't be anymore killings close enough to make us suspects."

  Part of her wanted to believe it would happen just like that, but she wasn't too hopeful.

  Facing her, he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “You're going down?"

  "In a few minutes, yes.” She laid her hands on his chest, feeling his heart beat right against her palm. “If you don't mind...” It felt weird to ask him this when only two nights earlier she had asked just about the opposite. “I'd like us to be alone tonight."

  If Brett was surprised, he didn't show it. He rested his hands on her waist, his thumbs sneaking beneath her top to rest against her skin. “Anything you want,” he replied. “Always."

  She wouldn't have thought it would be that easy. And indeed, she barely had enough time to think that it was too simple before he asked, “Does it have anything to do with Leo lying to the police about you being home at three-thirty rather than six?"

  When she looked at him in surprise, he gave her a lopsided smile and continued.

  "I was awake when you two were talking. Or mostly awake. Enough to get a look at the time."

  The words sank in slowly. Lisa kept her eyes on Brett's as she let the consequences of his words unfold in her mind. He had known that Leo lied to the cops, and he had let him. He might believe she had something to do with the murder. That might be why he had kept quiet about this false alibi. Still, that wasn't what troubled her most. Brett had always respected her reluctance to talk about her past, never insisting when she made it clear some topics were off limits. Her Sire had definitely been in that category, and she wasn't sure how she felt about Brett having heard ... how much had he heard, exactly?

  "So you heard us talk about our Sire,” she said slowly.

  On her hip, Brett's thumb was drawing small circles. She both wanted him to stop, because it was distracting her, and to continue, because it felt nice.

  "Heard yes. Understood, not so much."

  She could hear in his voice, see in his questioning eyes, that he would have liked to ask about what he heard, but he didn't say anything, and she just smiled, apologizing for everything she wouldn't explain.

  "You're not missing much. Boring family business."

  Too late, she noticed she had used the word family. It took her aback for a second. She hadn't thought about Nicholas in that way for a long time. With his eyes on her, Brett couldn't have missed the play of emotions on her face even if she had had the presence of mind to hide them. The thumb on her hip stopped, no doubt in concern.

  "Is everything OK?"

  She forced another smile to her lips. “It will be. It's just not so pleasant memories coming back to the surface."

  The concern deepened, and Brett's cheek twitched in that way that meant he wanted to say something but was forcing himself to remain silent. She would have felt uncomfortable if he had pressed the issue, and was glad to see he knew her well enough not to do so.

  "Just us, tonight, then,” he said, voice soft and low. A few seconds passed before he added. “He came and apologized to me about lying to the cops, if that makes any difference."

  Lisa was surprised enough that she froze and looked at Brett, almost expecting him to say he was joking, even when she knew it wasn't in his character. She hadn't said anything new to Leo, nothing she hadn't told him repeatedly in the past without ever making much of an impact on him, and she never would have believed that what she had told him earlier would have changed anything. Not only that, but he had gone and apologized to Brett, not her. Maybe, and the notion was even strange to consider, it meant that Leo had found in Brett someone or something she could never be for him.

  Coming to him, she kissed his cheek.

  "Did you know you're a very special man?"

  She could see he didn't quite know what to make of her remark, but didn't try to explain herself. She just smiled, trailing the back of her fingers over his cheek.

  "Will you be down later?” she asked him.

  "Probably not.” He sounded almost apologetic. “I need some time off. And if I'm down there, I'll be looking at everyone and wondering which of the vamps did it."

  She snorted and rolled her eyes at him. He wasn't fooling her. “I know you'll be looking at that video feed. Don't even try to pretend you won't."

  He raised his hands, palms turned toward her, and grinned. “Guilty as charged. Wake me when you come back?"

  She kissed his lips, fast and soft. “Of course."

  * * * *

  The instant Lisa entered the club, Leo noticed her. He had been waiting for her to pass that door ever since he watched Brett disappear through it, a few minutes earlier. He continued working, filling glasses and taking payments and tips, hyperaware that she was coming toward him.

  Her leather-clad hips swaying as she walked in her high heels, she approached the bar and found room between two patrons to lean against the counter. Leo finished serving his customer and excused himself to get closer to Lisa. Her face was smooth, with no trace of anger. He supposed that was a good thing.

  "Do you finish at five tonight?"

  "No, three, like during the week. But I can take my break at two thirty and finish then."

  Her nails clicked on the counter. Leo wasn't sure if it was a sign of impatience or nervousness.

  "Do that. We'll go then and get it over with.” She paused, clearly hesitating, and considered Leo for a few moments. “You're sure this is what you want?"

  Leo didn't have to think about it. “Yes. I do want this."

  He waited for her to ask more questions—he had a feeling she wasn't done—but she glanced at the woman seated on her right: one of Leo's customers, who was eavesdropping without trying to hide i
t. She gave a small snort and looked back at Leo, nodding.

  "Come find me when you're done,” was all she said before walking away.

  Leo watched her go to the staircase that led to the dancing floor. She seemed calm, and he doubted anyone who didn't know her as well as he did would have noticed, but there was something in the way she walked, in the rigid set of her head that gave it away; she was anxious. It wasn't too difficult to guess why, especially since Leo felt the same way.

  Just as she was about to disappear down the stairwell, Leo noticed someone a few feet behind her. The man's face seemed vaguely familiar, and after a few seconds he remembered where he had seen him before. It was the Special Enforcer who had been talking to Brett that afternoon. Leo felt uneasy about him being so close to Lisa. It might have been a coincidence, but somehow he doubted it.

  Someone behind him called his name, and he turned back to the customers at the counter. Lisa knew how to take care of herself; she didn't need to be warned about the possibility of a S.E. watching her. It wasn't as though she was going to do anything illegal anyway.

  As he got back into his rhythm, serving, chatting, flirting with customers without meaning anything by it, Leo wondered if Brett was going to come down, either for a drink or to join Lisa on the dance floor. Every now and then, he glanced toward the door that hid the staircase to the apartments, a little hopeful to see it open. Time passed, however, and more customers came in until the club was packed, and Brett did not make an appearance.

  Despite the crowd, Leo noticed Lisa when she came back up, holding a prey's hand in hers. Even from afar, Leo could see the woman's cheeks were flushed, though he would have needed to be closer to take in her scent and know if it was from excitement, fear, or embarrassment. Most humans thought of being bitten by a vampire as a sexual experience, and they were right on that point; if a vampire chose to do so, he or she could make the bite more pleasurable than painful. It was a pity so many humans associated shame with sex, though.

  Continuing to serve his customers, Leo kept an eye on Lisa. She had guided her prey to a booth at the back of the room, like she had the previous night. Leo could see glimpses of them, every now and then. He could also see, not very far from them, the same Special Enforcer focusing his entire attention on Lisa, probably waiting for a sign that she was making unwanted advances on the woman at her side so that he could intervene. There was nothing unwanted in that situation, however. If there had been, the two women would not have stayed in that booth for more than two hours after Lisa fed, chatting over drinks and laughing like old friends. When they finally slipped out of the booth around midnight, Lisa kissed the woman's cheek, making her blush again, and they separated. Lisa made her way back toward the dance floor, while the woman started toward the exit. The Special Enforcer, Leo noticed, followed Lisa.